My Sunday Bench — Musée des Beaux-Arts, Tours.

Just beyond the cathedral, the gardens of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours offer one of the city's most peaceful places to sit. With clipped hedges, mature trees and the former Archbishop's Palace as a backdrop, it's a Sunday bench with a distinctly elegant setting.

Anecdote: The museum occupies the former Palais des Archevêques , a residence that became one of the grandest in Touraine. Its formal gardens remain open to visitors, providing a quiet retreat just a few steps from the busy streets of central Tours.

“On Sundays, Touraine speaks softly — and you have time to listen.”

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Part of the “My Sunday Bench” Series

Each Sunday, we share a quiet bench somewhere in the Loire — a small reminder that peace is often found where you simply stop to notice it.

Explore more moments from the Loire

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On the Streets of Touraine — Chinon

Chinon's medieval streets still follow the same narrow lanes laid out centuries ago, with timber-framed houses leaning gently towards one another. It's a town best explored on foot, where every corner seems to reveal another piece of its long history.

Many of Chinon's half-timbered houses date from the 15th and 16th centuries. Their upper floors were often built to project over the street, giving homeowners a little extra living space while keeping these medieval lanes pleasantly shaded during the summer.

“The streets here don’t hurry. They simply invite you to walk, to notice, to belong.”

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Part of the “On the Streets of the Loire” Series

Each Saturday, we stroll through the lanes and cobbles of Loire towns and villages — places where every step feels like a story.

See more from Experience Loire

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Étang du Louroux - Bon week-end.

The return of cloud cover and more sensible temperatures makes this the perfect weekend to rediscover one of Touraine's loveliest nature walks. The circular trail around Étang du Louroux offers peaceful lakeside views, abundant birdlife and plenty of shady spots to pause along the way.

Covering around 60 hectares, Étang du Louroux is one of the largest wetlands in southern Touraine. Originally created by monks in the Middle Ages, it has become an important nature reserve where herons, kingfishers and dozens of migratory bird species can be spotted throughout the year.

Part of the “Bon weekend from the Loire” Series

Each Friday, we share a quiet moment from the Loire — a region that invites you to unwind, a beautiful weekend at a time.

Discover more from the Loire

© Experience Loire — Have a good weekend from the Loire · Back to Home

The Hart of the matter - Taken in Touraine

Standing before the Royal Lodgings of Loches, the striking Cerf Ailé (Winged Hart) creates an unexpected meeting between medieval history and contemporary art. It has become a memorable welcome for visitors exploring one of France's most important royal residences.

The winged hart is far more than a modern sculpture. The hart was the personal emblem of King Charles VI, symbolising nobility and resilience, while the addition of wings gives this contemporary artwork a sense of freedom and imagination. Set against the 15th-century Royal Lodgings, it beautifully bridges six centuries of French history.

“In Touraine, even the silence tells a story.”

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Part of the “Taken in Touraine” Series

Every Thursday, we pause somewhere in Touraine — a village, a vineyard, or a quiet riverside — to capture the spirit of this timeless Loire region.

Discover more about the Loire Valley
Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Taken in Touraine · Back to Home

Wednesday for windows - inside out!

A view from a window onto chateau de La Guerche.

This view could be yours as house is for sale - you can take a walk through the house here.

“Through every window, the Loire breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

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Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — Windows of the Loire · Back to Home

Richelieu - Towns & Villages of Centre-Val de Loire.

Richelieu is unlike any other town in the Loire Valley. Founded in 1631 by Cardinal Richelieu, it was designed from the ground up with a perfectly ordered street grid and elegant limestone houses that still define its character today.

This view along Rue Paul Viau Laurence leads towards the church, with architecture that has remained remarkably faithful to the Cardinal's original vision.

The irony of Richelieu is that the town survived better than the château it was built to accompany. After the French Revolution, Cardinal Richelieu's vast palace was plundered for its treasures and eventually demolished, its stone sold as building material. Today, the carefully planned town remains the greatest monument to his ambition.

Part of the “Towns & Villages of the Loire” Series

Exploring the towns and villages of the Loire Valley — their streets, stories, and quiet beauty.

Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Towns & Villages of the Loire · Back to Home

Château de Moncontour - Monday's Château.

Perched high above the Loire Valley, it is hard to miss Château de Moncontour as you drive along the Quai de Loire. 

Today, its historic cellars are home to Vignobles Feray, where visitors can discover one of the region's finest sparkling and still Chenin Blanc wines.

 Apparently Charles VII gave Moncontour to his celebrated favourite, Agnès Sorel his 'Dame de Beauté' in the 15th century. While the château became her royal gift, the elegant Renaissance façade admired today was created by later owners, giving Moncontour its distinctive appearance.

Official website.

Happy Monday in the Loire Valley!

“Each château tells a story — of kings, of artists and of the dream of France itself.”

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Part of the “Châteaux of the Loire” Series

Every Monday, we explore one of the Loire Valley's legendary châteaux — from royal residences to riverside retreats — each revealing a different chapter of the region's story.

Discover more about the Loire Valley

Browse the full series

 © Experience Loire — Châteaux of the Loire · ,

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Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench... in Ligueil.

If it's shade you're after, this bench in Ligueil is hard to beat. Set in the gardens in front of Église Saint-Martin, the carefully pollarded lime trees create a natural canopy that has been keeping village squares cool for generations.

 Those distinctive rounded trees aren't naturally shaped that way. They are pollarded, a traditional pruning technique dating back centuries that encourages dense new growth, provides welcome shade in summer, and keeps the trees healthy in compact village spaces.

“On Sundays, Touraine speaks softly — and you have time to listen.”

---

Part of the “My Sunday Bench” Series

Each Sunday, we share a quiet bench somewhere in the Loire — a small reminder that peace is often found where you simply stop to notice it.

Explore more moments from the Loire

© Experience Loire — My Sunday bench · Back to Home

On the Streets of Touraine — rue du Chateau in Crissay-sur-Manse.

Crissay-sur-Manse is regularly included among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France , a distinction reserved for villages with exceptional heritage and carefully preserved character. 

The village has fewer than 100 permanent residents, yet its 15th and 16th-century tuffeau stone houses and the ruins of its medieval château have earned it national recognition as one of France's most beautiful villages,you will have to visit yourself to see if this is deserved.

“The streets here don’t hurry. They simply invite you to walk, to notice, to belong.”

---

Part of the “On the Streets of the Loire” Series

Each Saturday, we stroll through the lanes and cobbles of Loire towns and villages — places where every step feels like a story.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — On the Streets of the Loire · Back to Home

Le George, Loches - Bon week-end from the Loire Valley.

Why not spend the weekend in Loches, one of the Loire Valley's most attractive medieval towns, and treat yourself to a leisurely lunch or dinner at Le George? Set beside the River Indre, its terrace is one of those peaceful spots where the water flows gently past as the town carries on around it.

The River Indre has shaped Loches for centuries. Before it became a picturesque backdrop for cafés and riverside walks, it powered mills, fed the town's moats, and helped protect the medieval citadel that still dominates the skyline.

Part of the “Bon weekend from the Loire” Series

Each Friday, we share a quiet moment from the Loire — a region that invites you to unwind, a beautiful weekend at a time.

Discover more from the Loire

© Experience Loire — Have a good weekend from the Loire · Back to Home

On the bridge at La Guerche for an anti-climax.

Waited with others on the bridge in La Guerche to watch the lunar  eclipse last night and although we caught a glimpse through the special glasses it was a little underwhelming from visual point of view we had some dimming rather than the darkness people imagined....the clouds didn't help either!

“In Touraine, even the silence tells a story.”

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Part of the “Taken in Touraine” Series

Every Thursday, we pause somewhere in Touraine — a village, a vineyard, or a quiet riverside — to capture the spirit of this timeless Loire region.

Discover more about the Loire Valley
Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Taken in Touraine · Back to Home

Windows & Balconies of the Loire: Le Petit-Pressigny

A window that doesn't quite look like a window in Le Petit-Pressigny. The figures appear to be standing behind the glass, but this is a painted scene set into the opening of the building housing Les Chambres de l'Aigronne.

It also brings to mind a curious piece of French history: the window tax.

Introduced in 1798, the contribution des portes et fenêtres was one of France's "four old" direct taxes. It was calculated according to the number and size of doors and windows opening onto streets, courtyards and gardens. The reasoning was that the number of openings provided a visible indication of a property's wealth.

The tax remained in place until 1926. It became notorious because it encouraged some owners to reduce the number of windows in their buildings, while existing openings were sometimes blocked up. The tax was even described by critics as an "impôt sur l'air et la lumière", a tax on air and light.

So, nearly a century after the tax disappeared, we find a window in Le Petit-Pressigny that is there purely for appearance.

“Through every window, the Loire breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

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Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — Windows of the Loire · Back to Home

Terraced gardens, La Guerche.

There’s a particular kind of quiet that settles over the terraced gardens of La Guerche. The stone walls hold the day’s heat, the leaves on the banana tree that still grows, improbably green, barely move. 

Not much has changed here over the years with the only real sign of modernity being the 'dish' on the roof!

Part of the “Towns & Villages of the Loire” Series

Exploring the towns and villages of the Loire Valley — their streets, stories, and quiet beauty.

Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Towns & Villages of the Loire · Back to Home

Château de Grillemont at La Chapelle-Blanche-Saint-Martin.

The château at La Chapelle-Blanche-Saint-Martin has medieval origins, although much of what stands today dates from later rebuilding. In 1464, Bertrand de Lescoët acquired Grillemont and transformed it into a substantial fortress. In the 18th century, François Balthazar Dangé d'Orsay remodelled it as a more comfortable residence, removing the medieval keep and opening up the buildings with much larger windows.

There is a particularly good story attached to those alterations. Local tradition says that Dangé d'Orsay ordered as many windows and doors as there are days in the year to be created in the château. The actual number is thought to have been 97 but the story has survived.

Grillemont also had an extraordinary wartime history. During the Second World War it was successively used by the evacuated French Ministry of Commerce, occupied by German forces and later used as a prison. 846 people were held there between 1941 and 1943.

In 1850, the castle was bought by Gérasime Lecointre, the great-great-grandfather of the current owner. The castle was empty, as the previous owner had gone bankrupt and sold all the furniture.The family then had to work at returning it to a habitable residence.

Official website.

Happy Monday in the Loire Valley!

“Each château tells a story — of kings, of artists and of the dream of France itself.”

---

Part of the “Châteaux of the Loire” Series

Every Monday, we explore one of the Loire Valley's legendary châteaux — from royal residences to riverside retreats — each revealing a different chapter of the region's story.

Discover more about the Loire Valley

Browse the full series

 © Experience Loire — Châteaux of the Loire · ,

Back to Home